The Fall
by Draco the Spirit Dragon
Summary: Dark times lurk on the horizon of Academy City, as secrets and conspiracy's finally come to the surface. As anarchy consumes a city, a true hero must understand his past to save his present. A continuation of my other fanfics (Finding Something Close to Perfect, I'm Not Afraid , Walking in the Leaves). Use Late Old Testament material but is somewhat AU.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Calm before the Storm

Mikoto walked down the street with a girl who most would assume was her twin sister.

"So how your week been Imouto?" She asked her apparent twin.

"Oh it's been rather nice actually, says Misaka with a happy if slightly distant look as she thinks back over her week." Said the girl in a voice devoid of emotion, who only seem to have one facial expression, who nearly always wore a pair of military grade goggles on the top of her head and who was currently carrying a small cat called Dog of all things (Mikoto sometimes worried what some of her possible future nephews and nieces may end up being called... she really did).

Her name was Misaka Misaka 10032 Imouto (or at least that was the full name she used when pushed. There wasn't a birth certificate on any other official paperwork on her anywhere) and she had been cloned from Mikoto cells behind her back for to take part in some nightmarish experiments, along with over 19999 others, most of whom had been brutally murdered.

But that nightmare was over, and through trouble did pop up now and again, the Sisters life's were happy ones by and large.

"On Monday, Touma and I took Dog to be have some important jabs. Dog didn't like them very much, but Touma gave him some nice treats after to make him forget, says Misaka proudly. On Wednesday we heroically saved some young children from a burning building and then last night, along with Index and Sphinx, we continued our epic quest to play through Touma's rpg collection and started Final Fantasy 10, says Misaka as she quietly wonders if Tidus is a natural blond."

It was funny really. Now she was somewhat emotional distanced from the whole matter, by being romantically involved with Kuroko, she could see Touma really was good for her little sister. She had a great respect for life, combined with a head full of facts on how to make battle... not two things that necessary always fitted well, but by protecting people alongside Touma, she could bring her heart and skillset into one whole, and still do silly little cute things with him too.

"Sounds like you had a nice week then." Mikoto replied. "Kuroko and Uiharu have both been really busy with Judgement work, so I've been mostly watching funny videos on the internet with Saten, through a lot of website's have been blocked lately, so this week has mostly been a frustrating one of seeing 'this website is blocked' way too often."

"Hum, that is curious, many of the other Misaka's outside the city have been complaining about there movements being restricted, I wonder if the two facts are related? Says Misaka with a thoughtful expression."

Mikoto shrugged.

"Doubtful, I mean most of the Misakas are in research intuitions right, Their probably up to something sensitive and don't want to risk leaks." Mikoto suggested.

"Perhaps, Misaka says with a doubtful expression."

"Anyway, we are nearly at the spot in the park we said we meet our partners and I'm pretty sure I can hear their voices." Mikoto said as she motioned towards the direction where two familiar voices could be heard arguing.

* * *

Meanwhile in another part of the city, a certain white hair boy was being teased quiet viciously.

"So Mr Honour Student has a date?" Misaka WORSE said with a mischievous air.

"It's not a date!" Accelerator replied defensively.

"Your meeting a girl in a restaurant who clearly likes you and you don't consider it a date?" WORSE replied sarcastically.

"I'm just letting her say thank you and being nice to the Brat!" Said Accelerator as he desperately tried to find a way out of the dam conversation.

"Is she pretty, does she have big bobbies?" Said WORSE as she continued her merciless assault.

"She has a flat chest, but is really pretty and has some really cute flowers on top of her head, explains Misaka as Misaka describes the nice middle school girl!" That Misaka was of course was Last Order.

"Oh so he chasing after a middle school girl too, this Misaka isn't really surprised all things considered." WORSE added with a cruel glint in her eyes.

"Please for the love of God, stop this!" Accelerator pleaded. "What have I done to deserve this torment!"

The two clones looked to each other, and then to Accelerator.

"This Misaka would like to state that karma is a bitch." Said WORSE before adding. "And that she would never drop by on your date and embarrass you at all, no she would never do that, Says WORSE as she tells a obvious lie and impersonates her sisters way of speaking."

"NO FUCKING WAY!" Said a certain white haired boy who's skin had turned a very distinctive shade of pink.

* * *

"Look I'm telling you, Bayonetta is way hotter than Samus Aran from Metroid. She has glasses, sucks on lollipops and dresses in her -magical hair-, how much hotter can you get!" Touma shouted loudly at Kuroko, who was sitting opposite him in the quiet little corner of the park they had agreed to meet up in.

"But Samus spends all her time locked up her suit, risking her life by fighting monsters to protect the galaxy, often fighting all alone." Kuroko argued. "Can you imagine how much pent up desire she must have locked up in that suit, can you imagine how great the rewards would be for the one who managed to release it?"

She had that silly look on her face, the one were she tended to stare at empty space and go slightly red. As a result Mikoto, had a pretty good idea what was going on inside her head and it wasn't angelic.

"KUROKO!" She yelled loudly. "Why is it that every time I walk in on your conversations with Touma, they're perverted?!"

"Well we started of discussing the relative merits of Sony vs Nintendo..." Kuroko explained.

"And I pointed out that with Sony you got to play Bayonetta." Touma added.

"And I counted that point with the point, with the point that Nintendo had large range of exclusives, including Metroid." Kuroko continued.

"And then I counted that point with the point that Bayonetta is way hotter than Samus Aran from Metroid". Touma explained, neatly bringing the conversation to where Mikoto had walked in on it.

"So basically it's all Touma fault." Kuroko said with a smug look on her face as she pointed towards the corrupting influence.

"Hey wait... wait one minute!" Touma shouted in a panicky tone as he noticed the growing electric discharges coming from Mikoto. "Your being completely unreasonable here Bri Bri!"

"Leading my angel towards the depths of hell." Mikoto muttered as she slowly marched towards Touma. "After all the work I've been putting into trying to fill her head with pure thoughts, you thought you could lead her thoughts back down to the gutter again and get away with it!"

Mikoto consider reaching for one of her coins, that corrupting idiot needed to be taught a lesson, however a third party intervened and put halt to her plans.

"Hello Touma, Says Misaka as she happily skips over and takes up her customary spot."

Said 'customary spot' was his lap, with her back leaning on his left arm (and -always- his left). She also had a habit of giving him a little cheek rub with her own as soon as she had settled in, and off course to top off the cuteness of the scene, Dog was in her lap, mewing happily.

"Your lucky my sister protecting you." Mikoto said in annoyed tone as she sat beside Kuroko. "Otherwise you be on the floor in serous pain about now."

"It's not luck, says Misaka as she enjoys her victory over fate."

"Victory over fate?" Mikoto asked in a puzzled manner. "Touma just tends to do foolish things, their isn't some mysterious enemy you can fight Imouto."

"His misfortune defies statistic plausibility, Misaka point out logically. The root cause is likely tied to his right hand, but there is a lack of a underlining theory on how it works, only conjecture based on it effects, Misaka continues. But no enemy is undefeatable with the correct strategy, says Misaka as she shows her will to defeat Touma's misfortune."

Mikoto looked to Kuroko, expecting some kind of support from her in regards to her sister's misguided and ridiculous crusade, she didn't get it.

"She wants her boyfriend to be happy." Kuroko explained with a slight shrug. "She's concluded the universe seems to be out to get him, so she is out to stop it. I think it's rather romantic myself."

"A war on misfortune." Mikoto said after sighing in defeat. "Next you be telling me your campaigning to have the sky turned pink."

"It does turn some interesting hues at dusk and dawn, but I feel that it be silly to try and permanently alter the sky hues based on personal preference, Misaka says as she remises of the time Touma and her watched the sunset."

So it seemed Touma was doing all the traditional romantic things with her sister... Mikoto couldn't really do anything romantic with Kuroko that couldn't be firmly hidden behind a solid (and preferably locked) door. It was frustrating when she heard of other couples having very public fun... but she could still remember that girl who got 'outed' in her first year.

While it wasn't uncommon for girls to hero worship others at Tokiwadai to the point were it was borderline romantic ( like what Kuroko 'seemed' to do), there was a certain line, a unwritten rule that it wasn't 'serous', that it would never go anywhere deep and meaningful. That girl had opened up her heart to another, one who worshipped the ground she walked on. She had started to think about the future, about a life with that girl... and that dream had been so cruelly smashed, that Mikoto, then just another Level 4, had nightmares about it for weeks. The really sick thing was the girl that she given her heart too, had been the one that had been the most vicious in the bulling, in making that girls life a living hell.

It still gave her chills.

"Bri Bri?" It was Touma's voice, he sounded concerned.

"Sorry." Mikoto quickly replied in a business like tone. "Was just thinking, nothing important, don't worry."

Touma gave her a strange look in return, but he didn't press the point.

"Anyway." He continued. "I've been thinking of taking advantage of the half term break that coming up to get away from the city for a few days, Imouto reassures me that she can sneak out Index and the cats, so they'll be enjoying a little culture trip on the coast with me and my folks, assuming her big sister trust me to look after her little sister for a few days."

"Don't do anything Kuroko would try to do in one of her less angelic moments." Mikoto replied as she relaxed a bit. "But I think you know the rules of what your allowed to do."

"Sure do boss!" Touma replied with a slight grin. Through he still tended to look tired all the time (which is perhaps why he tended to let Imouto do the talking when they were together), there was a certain optimism about him these days, that perhaps everything was going to turn out fine.

None of them knew what was coming to the city, none of them knew of the storm that would soon rage on all their life's.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Awkward Meetings

It was half term, and somehow Touma had managed to reach the coast without serous incident (well bar a real Shrine Maiden having issues with a unquiet spirit, that turned out to be a rogue magician playing mind games with her). But he was seriously nervous about what was going to happen next.

He was going to introduce his girlfriend and parents to each other for the first time, and his girlfriend was a oddball with a secret and dark history who talked in third person. He had spent the last several night worrying in bed about all the many possible ways for the meeting to go horribly horribly wrong.

He was going to have to tell some creative lies and twist the truth a fair bit. There was no way in hell he could tell them that his girlfriend had been created in a lab and treated as a expendable resource to help a guy reach level 6, whose existence was illegal under international law and who was part of a hive mind of close to 10000 members. They would freak out big time for sure if he told them that.

"So Index and your girlfriend are about due..." His mother Shiina said as she looked at him seriously. "And her name is 'Imouto'?"

This was the first problem, her name of choice was little sister, it wasn't the sort of name any normal parent would give to there child, but Imouto was very keen on it, and it beat 'Misaka 10032' (her other choice).

Yes, I know its a odd name, but it really is her name." Touma replied back nervously.

"So you don't think she might just be hiding some embarrassing given name from you then?" His mother suggested with a grin.

"Maybe your right mum!" Touma shouted loudly as he sized the opportunity. "Perhaps she hides behind her family name and status as a younger sibling, because she really hate's her given name, I never coincided it before, but it makes perfect sense!"

His mother laughed lightly.

"You can be as foolish as your father sometimes". She replied with a bright smile. "There plenty of girls out there that hide embarrassing truths from their boyfriends, especially when the bonds of love are new. But the big difference between dating a girl and marrying a woman, is all those little insecurities and secrets are out in the open, I'm sure you'll learn all of 'Imouto's' in time Touma."

Touma wasn't quiet sure how to reply to that. Imouto hadn't existed that long, and for a good amount of it she had known Touma, surely there was little she could surprise him with?

* * *

"So have I been a good girl Onee-sama?" Kuroko asked mischievously as she sat in her girlfriend Mikoto's lap. They were currently very alone in their room and behind a locked door. After the week Kuroko had, she felt she had earned some R and R.

"Well I suppose you haven't been too bad, all things coincided." Mikoto said teasingly as she ran one finger down Kuroko's left check.

"And does that mean I get my reward Onee-sama?" Kuroko said playfully as she leaned her head softly forwards.

"Oh may..."Mikoto started before a loud ring came from the dorm intercom system.

"I'll get it!" Kuroko said with annoyed air as she fluidly teleported and landed on her feet next to the intercom.

"Kuroko speaking and this best be important." She said in a sharp, if business like, tone.

"Let me guess. " Came the familiar voice of Saten, before she added in a far more teasing manner. "I've just saved Misaka from you being a pervert again haven't I?"

Saten had no idea that the two of them were now secretly dating, therefore Kuroko played to expectations.

"I may or may not have attempting to take our friendship to the next level, but I assume you have reasons to come over?" Kuroko replied in the same tone as before.

"Huge gossip on Uiharu, so invite me up!" Saten shouted excitedly over the intercom.

* * *

Meanwhile a certain albino was trying to psyche himself up to go through a door. It was the door to a family restaurant, one which he been invited too, along with his young charge by a member of Judgement to say thank you for saving her life.

At least that was the official reason, but unofficially Accelerator knew there was something about that girl that was both drawing him towards her and scaring the hell out of him at the same time. Her voice and manner were soft, but her spirit was stronger than titanium and she wanted to -know- him.

And that what scared him. His soul was baked in blood and once she learned of his sins and the true depths of his depravity she wouldn't want to know him anymore, and just like that the warmth he felt from her would stop and...

"Come on Accelerator, says Misaka as Misaka tries to pull the awkward and immature boy through the door. You don't want to be late to your first date with a real nice girl, says Misaka as Misaka tries pushing the silly boy instead."

"I can walk through doors all by myself brat!" He protested as he finally walked through the door. "And this isn't a date, I'm just being polite to the girl."

"Ooooo says Misaka as Misaka is surprised by the boy being considerate."

"I can do polite!" He replied defensively.

"The Network lacks evidence on this statement, says Misaka as Misaka pessimistically searches through the memories of all the Sisters in a attempt to find some evidence on the boy who taught the Network so many curse words being polite."

"Well soon you have documented evidence, I can see our inviter." Accelerator proclaimed as he boldly walked forwards. The adrenalin was pumping and his heart was beating fast, but there was no turning back now.

* * *

Touma heard the door open.

"Honey I'm home!" Touma father Touya shouted as he came in. "And I met two charming ladies on the way here too!"

Touma saw his mother turn death glare mode on briefly, till she saw whom the two charming ladies were.

First there was Index in her normal white nun garb along with the three coloured cat called Sphinx in his normal position near her neck.

"Is lunch nearly ready yet?" Index said with her normal enthusiasm and default stance on food (I want some now dam it!).

Then there was Imouto, who was certainly not dressed in her normal garb. She wore denim jeans and good solid boots on her lower half, while on her upper half she wore a light pink t-shirt, with a black, cute and comic cat chasing after a fish with the line 'Get that Fishy!' written underneath. She also wore a Gekota styled headband instead of her normal goggles and carried Dog in her arms. In a nutshell she looked rather sane and normal, and not some cloned hive mind commando who had the vast majority of information in her head inputted via a machine. Touma was slightly shocked and realised that the brilliant speech he had in his head to explain her uniform and goggles no longer had a purpose... which was just his luck.

"Hello Kamijou Shiina, says Misaka in a polite and respectful manner as she bows her head in a clear attempt to show her submission to the senior female of the household."

"Haven't we met before at the Daihasei Festival?" His mother asked with confusion clearly written on her face as she tried to put a somewhat familiar face and rather unfamiliar manner together in her head.

"Oh your getting her mixed up with her older sister Mikoto." Touma's father said as he walked in behind the girls with a huge piece of luggage (Touma had a feeling that the locks on it would not be easy to break if it contained what he believed it did). "We had a little chat on the way here. She's the younger and more mellow one of the two, who enjoys romantic walks in the park and playing rpgs with our Touma."

"And talking in third person?" His bewildered mother asked.

"I find it brings clarity to my words, says Misaka as she explains her verbal tick in part. Also I don't know how not too, explains Misaka awkwardly."

His mother gave Touma him a look that made him also feel rather awkward. She wasn't voicing her feelings, but Touma could tell the words would go along the lines of 'just who is this weirdo and why are you dating her?' By contrast his father seemed to be in fairly good spirits and at ease around the girls, but Touma knew he was going to have figure a way to get his mother and Imouto to connect... somehow.

* * *

"Hi there Accel!" Uiharu said in a friendly manner as she waved him over. It might have been his imagination, but he was sure that Easter Lily had not been at the centre of her flowery headband collection before, but she certainly now had a white flower that was his namesake on the top of her head.

"Uiharu, it good to see you again." He said in a polite and measured tone, proving that brat wrong in his ability to do so.

"You too." She replied in a sweet tone before looking towards Last Order. "And I see you brought little Misaka with you too, how are you today?"

"Misaka is good, says Misaka as Misaka replies politely to the nice girl. Through she apologises for the slight lateness, as Accelerator spent ages and ages in the bathroom says Misaka as Misaka explains in a playful tone.

"Bra-" Accelerator started, before he caught himself. She was clearly trying to get him to slip up. "Last Order please behave yourself."

This caused Uiharu to giggle to herself. Accelerator felt himself blush as she did so.

"Your really trying, aren't you?" She said in a gentle tone before adding . "Here have a menu."

They ordered a meal, in Last Orders case, it was originally going to be a meal entirely of ice cream, but Uiharu informed her quiet firmly that ice cream came after the main meal and Last Order ordered a nice fish dish for her main course instead of trying to sneak in a extra desert. Course since it was a family restaurant and not a fast food place, there was the normal waiting period.

"Is that a play area I see through that glass window says Misaka as Misaka makes her excuses to give Accelerator and Uiharu time to be all lovey dovey like Touma and 10032!"

And with that the young clone got up and rapidly made her way to a climbing frame outside.

Uiharu giggled again.

"She seems to be enjoying herself." She said cheerfully.

"The brat does tend to be in a permanently good mood." Accelerator said with annoyed air as he gave up on the whole polite talking thing. "I've never been able to fucking understand how she can be, considering all the crap she been through."

This time Uiharu went quiet for a while with a thoughtful expression, before she spoke again.

"You're like her father figure right?" Uiharu politely questioned.

"I guess." Accelerator replied with a shrug. "It's a complicated mess, but somehow I've found myself in that role."

Uiharu nodded.

"Then smile a bit more yourself." Uiharu said firmly. "You're doing something right if she finds a reason to be happy so often."

Accelerator gave her a pained look, she didn't know of Last Orders dead sisters, she didn't know due to the way the Network worked, that Last Order knew 10031 ways to die in full detail.

"I've done her great wrongs, the sort of crap you can't undue." He tried to explain. "No matter what I do, I can't make things square with her, not now, not ever."

"She knows what you done?" Uiharu asked curiously as she watched Last Order through the window doing her best impersonation of a rather silly monkey on the climbing frame.

"Yes." Accelerator replied honestly.

"And does she hate you?" Uiharu asked as she turned and looked at him unflinchingly in the eyes. "Does she look at you with bitter eyes and speak hateful words?"

Accelerator found that gaze hard to withstand, the steely determination behind those eyes didn't match the image those pretty little flowers on her head suggested.

"No." He said in a small voice. Uiharu expression soften into a bright smile at his response.

"Well I'm going to follow her lead then." She replied. "Because if the misdeeds you done that make you hate yourself are the same ones she clearly decided to forgive you for, then why shouldn't I?"

Accelerator just stared at her, he didn't know how to reply, how to explain the nature of the Sisters who were joined, yet still individuals. How he had sent 10031 souls to the next life, even if their memories still lingered in the heads of there still living sisters. Uiharu then put her hand on his. The move took him by surprise and caused his heart to skip a beat.

"You really have a complicated and unpleasant story don't you?" She said tenderly and softy as she brushed a single finger across the top of his hand. "I naively thought I got to the bottom of things, but it's clear there more to the story than your willing to tell me yet... Yuriko."

There had been a clear and long moment before she had used his name. Clearly she had thought she was pushing her luck by using the ridiculous girly thing, the example of his parents lack of affection. But when she used it, he did not feel discarded, when she used it he felt he might be able to reach somewhere higher than the lowest depths of hell.

"Kazari I think.. I think..." He began, stuttering as he tried to explain his feelings, tried to make her understand what was running through his mind and heart. "I think I might be..."

But he was dragged from that moment, the chains of hell were in no rush to loosen.

"Oh my god!" screamed one of the customers as he looked upon the terrible scene through the window. In the playground, Last Order was being held up by her neck and her attacker carried a pistol in his other hand.

Accelerator hand went to his electrode, anyone who was willing to threaten Last Order with that level of violence was someone who Accelerator would feel no guilt about tearing apart.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A Certain Scientific Consequence

"So!" Saten said as she sat down on Kuroko's bed with a gleeful expression. "You want to hear the gossip, the fat juicy gossip on Uiharu?"

In truth, what Mikoto really wanted to do at that very moment was to pin Kuroko down on the bed and snog her senseless, but A) That would freak Saten out, B) Undermine her message of self control to Kuroko and C) Reveal that Mikoto was far more that Kuroko's roommate to Saten ...meaning by the end of the week that most of the city would know.

"Erm...sure!" Mikoto replied somewhat awkwardly. Saten gave her a look that suggested that she caught the awkwardness. She looked to Kuroko and spoke harshly.

"What were you doing to the poor girl before I interrupted?"

"It's best if you don't ask." Mikoto explained quickly as she covered for her partner. "Kuroko has been trying very hard to get her impulses under control as of late, but sometimes she slips."

It was such a fine line to walk, on one hand she had to be secretive, on the other she had to protect her partners pride. But regardless she found she was becoming more and more deceitful with her friends and it didn't feel good.

"I guess you are right." Saten said seriously before turning back to full giggles mode. "And Uiharu is seeing someone!"

Mikoto blinked.

"Someone seduced Uiharu?" Kuroko asked in a tone of disbelief.

"Nope!" Saten replied with a huge grin. "She seduced them, as in she was the seducer, rather than the seduced!"

This time Mikoto's jaw dropped.

"But she's so sweet, nice and awkward!" Kuroko exclaimed.

"I know!" Saten said with clear relish. "But she managed to befriend his little sister during her Judgment work, and with a little bit of confidence she managed to bag herself the big bother!"

"So what's this guys name and what is he like?" Mikoto asked curiously.

"Well I know he's a 'bishōnen bad boy who needs a good girl to look after him'" Saten explained. "And apparently his family name is Suzushina... through Uiharu won't tell me his given name."

"Why not?" Mikoto asked as she silently probed her memories for the name Suzushina... but she knew no one with that name.

"Uiharu wouldn't explain annoyingly, but Lady Luck shined on me and showed me a way to find out." Saten explained confidently.

"Oh?" Mikoto asked, she really wanted to know who this guy was now.

"I had the fortune to glimpse a email about a date." Saten explained. "And if we run, we might be able to accidently meet them!"

Mikoto grinned. She wasn't sure who this Suzushina was, but she made a mental note to be nice and try to make a good impression, she was sure that Uiharu was having a good time, and she didn't want to spoil it.

* * *

Uiharu watched as the glass windows shattered, every single one of them.

"Who the fuck do you think you think your messing with!" Accelerator screamed as he visibly demonstrated his great power. The awkward and troubled boy that she been talking with moments before was no longer visible, instead a white haired and red eyed demon full of fury and hate was standing before her instead.

He strode forwards, like a living incarnation of destruction, towards the man who was holding Last Order by the neck. He looked surprisingly calm for a man staring death in the face.

"Oh I know exactly who your are -butcher-." He said with a voice full of spite. "And I know all about the 'Third Resource Recycling Processing Facility Incident' during the 'Night of the Sleeping Terror'."

The 'Night of the Sleeping Terror' was what everyone used when they referred to that incident were the Catholic Church had sent that yellow clothed Esper to try and tear Academy City apart. Several board member had been brutally murdered during it, but Uiharu had never heard of the 'Third Resource Recycling Processing Facility Incident', officially or otherwise.

"Who are you then, some Hound Dog leftover?" Accelerator questioned. "Because only true trash like them would use a little girls life as a shield."

That caused the man (of Hound Dog?) to laugh like Accelerator had just made a amusing joke.

"Oh this thing?" He said as gripped Last Orders neck tighter and increased the look of suffering on her young face. "I know all about the MISAKA Network, about Academy City little army of angel faced killing machines. Created from Academy Cities Number Three, Misaka Mikoto's DNA, but breed purely for war. Hive minded and perfectly obedient littlie soldiers who can be created at the push of a button and known thousands of ways to kill a man."

"She's not some killing machine!" Uiharu screamed as she stood up, her whole body shaking. "Let her go!"

The man rolled his eyes.

"This is the Controller of the MISAKA Network." He explained. "Its form is just designed to minimise risk of assault and make infiltration easier."

"She has a name and it's Last Order you fucker!" Accelerator yelled. "And if you don't let her go in thirty seconds, I'm going to rip your head off and piss down your throat!"

"You know, your power may be great Number One" The man said as he pushed the guns barrel against Last Orders head. "But it's primary base around a counter attack. Creating offensive precise projectile attacks isn't you strong suit. Which means I strongly doubt you could kill me before I put a bullet in your pets brain and wrecked your ability to even walk and talk."

Uiharu eye was instantly drawn to Accelerator chocker and walking stick. She knew Last Order ability was electric based, was she somehow transmitting a constant signal to his chocker and letting Accelerator use his power despite some great wound? Was he dependent on her constant goodwill and forced to protect her?

Accelerator stared at the man with a look of great fury... but as time ticked by it was clear he wasn't going to make a move, that he couldn't make a move... but was because of affection or dependence?

"So the so called unstoppable force that is Accelerator, can be stopped by a simple gun in the right place." The man said with a satisfied look. "How does it feel to be helpless Number One? How does it feel to the one being kicked?"

* * *

Touma found himself alone with her father as the girls were busy settling in on the other side of the house.

"So Touma." His father spoke. "That Imouto girl a interesting one. She can speak at least five languages, but can name zero childhood games..."

"She sure is." Touma replied, before quickly adding a lie "She just had a sheltered childhood."

His father smirked.

"I'm not your mother Touma" His father explained as he put his hand on Touma shoulder. "I've seen a glimpse of that strange world you live in.."

Touma look towards him.

"I don't care if my future daughter is some liberated genie or magic doll brought to life." His father explained in a serous tone. "What I care about is that she make's you happy, through if there anything you think I should know..."

"Don't be surprised if she turns up in surprising locations at surprising times." Touma explained. He knew the Sisters liked to sometime's experience things 'firsthand' that had been relayed through the network. Chances are his father would meet another one of the Sister that wanted to meet him firsthand sooner or latter.

"Also she has a good head in a crisis. So if she starts calmly telling you to do things when everything going crazy, it likely a good idea to listen closely."

His father nodded.

"Talking of crises, I'm surprised you got let out the city." his father said off hand.

"Hum?" Touma replied. Why would his father be surprised he got to go on a little half term break?

"You know, with all the tension between the Board of the Directors and the Government?" His father pointed out... except Touma had heard zero about tension between the two.

"News to me." Touma explained

"They must be keeping you kids out of the loop to stop you worrying... but out here it's been all over the news." He explained before adding. "The Government isn't happy that Academy City is acting more and more autonomously. Nor do they like all these reports of unethical experiments and children going missing, especially since Academy City keep blocking proper investigations on the grounds of 'disrupting research'."

Touma felt a cold sweet start to cover him, he knew all about unethical experiments.

"I'm really glad you three are here in honesty." His father went on. "The way things look, it looks like Academy City might turn into a war zone before too long."

* * *

The man with the gun increase the tension on Last Orders neck again.

"Stop it, please stop it!" Uiharu begged. "Whatever Accelerator done, whatever pain he has caused you, it no excuse for what your doing to Last Order, she's a innocent child, your chasing after vengeance so much that your blind to the fact your adding pain on pain and making more pain for everyone!"

The man looked at Uiharu properly, giving her his full attention, it didn't help Uiharu's nerves.

"And who are you to speak so high and mighty girl?" He demanded. "Just who do you think you are?"

"I'm Uiharu Kazari." She said as took out her armband and put it on. "Of the 177th Branch of Judgement. If you wish to accuse Accelerator with criminal charges and put forward evidence, I will be happy to contact Anti Skill and explain the situation. However brandishing a gun and holding a child hostage will not help your case, could you please calm down?"

He laughed.

"Oh wow." He said in a sarcastic tone before turning to a more angry one. "The glorified hall monitor wants me to disarm myself and submit myself to a bunch of powerless teachers. I'm sure that will go so well, just like went it went so well for Usagi!"

He looked towards Accelerator as he said the name, his tone now burning with a truly savage anger.

"She got in trouble, made a few mistakes when she started asking some very awkward questions about the lack of privacy in this city, about how watched we are. Turns out the got her put in a 'special class', turns out that its really hard to find where these 'special classes' take place."

"And how this relate to Accelerator?" Uiharu asked as quietly prayed for someone with the power to defuse this horrible situation to arrive.

"I found her" He explained "I found what was left of her on the 'Night of the Sleeping Terror'."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Finding Death

"I suppose the splattered man outside next to his own torn feet should have given me a clue what to expect." The man explained to Accelerator in hateful tones. "But finding her jaw had been blown of her face and her body crushed in a metal grinder was what made me heave! Then I found the remain of her friends, and the looks of terror on the faces told me as much as there splattered guts and the body fried with boiling hot steam!"

Uiharu looked to Accelerator. It was hard to figuring out what he was feeling about those world behind that mask of rage he was wearing. But could he brutally slaughter people without mercy, could he inflict such great suffering on others with no regret? Uiharu cringed at her thoughts, yes he could, yes he was hurt enough to inflict great hurt on others and yes he was trapped in that dark place...

But he wasn't the only one.

"You think adding blood on blood going to clean the stain?" Uiharu said forcefully. "Do you think another brutal murder going to put things right and end this chain of suffering? Because it won't, all it will do is cause more tears, and those tears won't only be those of your foes, there be of your friends, your family, those who you care about!"

"Well then why doesn't this butcher go ahead and kill himself!" The man yelled. "End everyone's problems since all he's good for is suffering!"

Uiharu rapidly turned to the boy with the white hair and red eyes.

* * *

Misaka (Serial number 10032) looked towards Touma. She could tell with a glance that he was worrying over something, and worrying a fair bit. Course Misaka was also worrying a great deal, along with the rest of the Network. But she was pretty sure Touma had no idea that the Controller had a gun against her head, he would have said something by now or given Misaka a pained look. But he hadn't, his worry was not Misaka's, and Misaka did not want to add to his worry, especially when there was nothing he could do.

Touma hated feeling powerless, and while Misaka had a great 'poker face' as Kuroko had once put it, her secrets tended to spill when she spoke. So to protect Touma from pain, she had to keep silent, but because she couldn't speak, she couldn't figure out what worried him...

"So apparently people were living here before written history." Index explained as she walked along through the cave. She had read some material on the place before coming in and with her photographic memory it was easy for her to play tour guide.

"And there is all sorts of Stone Age artefacts been found here too!" Index continued to explain. "There's even some mysterious qusi religious paintings!"

Index was clearly rather excited about the whole thing, but Misaka was uneasy about opening her mouth and taking part in the conversation, she didn't want to slip up and hurt Touma, but she really wanted Touma to take part in this conversation...

"Apparently no one can make sense of half of them either." Index said cheerfully as she raced down the corridor. "And I love figuring out a great mystery!"

Misaka started to chase after her, however something happened that made her stop, made her desire to keep her mouth shut end...

"Touma... Index. I can not connect to the MISAKA Network, says Misaka in a voice deep with worry and tinged with fear."

* * *

Uiharu reacted faster then her mind processed the information and she found herself charging Accelerator as his hands were going to his throat. Surprise was a powerful weapon and Uiharu had figured out Accelerators weak spots...

"Ui..!" Was all the surprised boy managed to get out as she flicked that important switch.

"Don't you -dare-!" Uiharu screamed in anger as she pushed the now depowered Esper onto the floor. "Don't you ever dare of taking that cowardly move! I wouldn't forgive you and Last Order would be carrying that pain around with her for the rest of her life. Isn't that the very opposite of what you want?!"

He looked at her stunned, she suspected no one had even tried this flicking his switch before and she suspect few had even ever chastised someone as powerful as him either. But Uiharu had never let something as trivial as a difference in power stop her doing the right thing.

"What.. what have I done to get you..?" He muttered as he lay on the floor. Uiharu frowned, he still didn't get it.

"Cute." the man said from behind Uiharu. "Can't say I started this day planning to kill a Judgment Officer, but its pretty clear that monster got you wrapped around his finger, so I'm likely doing everyone a favour..."

Uiharu expected to hear a gunshot, instead she heard a far more exotic sound... a Railgun.

* * *

"Maybe its how far underground we are?" Touma suggested. Imouto was a hard person to read if you weren't use to her. Her face wasn't any help, but she normally moved rather smoothly and efficiently, like some computer program had planned out her motions, but right now she was fidgeting, she was making pointless movements about the cave... She was highly stressed in other words.

She looked towards him, then rather sharply, ran towards him and into his arms. Some people might have thought she was overreacting, that she was taking lost connectivity way to badly, but Touma got it completely. To the Sisters, being connected was normal, being connected was how things should be. Imouto was use to hearing the constant chatter of her sisters, she was use to having that reassurance if anything bad happened to her, close to 10000 people would know and if worse came to worse, everything in her head would still exist.

All that had been taken from her and he constantly reminded himself that she was still fairly young even if her mind had a lot of info dumped in it via Testament. Perhaps in the future she be able to deal with being disconnected suddenly, but right now she was scared and all her previous 'disconnections' had been all in the company of Touma. He made her feel safe, so she ran to her safe place, she ran to her Touma.

"Shh." Touma whispered in her ear before talking more normally "Don't worry. Index and me deal with this everyday and were here for you. Also we won't let you get hurt, your elder sister would kill me if I did for a start!"

Imouto looked up at him.

"Oh so you need fear of electrocution to protect your girlfriend, asks Misaka as she look up at her boyfriend with raised eyebrows?" Course she didn't actually raise her eyebrows (she never did), but she was making one of her weird little jokes, which was a good sign in Touma's book.

"Course not, but the reason she would do so is because I promised her that I take care of you, no matter what, and I plan to keep that promise."

Again, there was no change to her expression, but a soft kiss communicated her feelings all too clear.

Index coughed.

"You know." Index said in embarrassed tone. "As much as love a great and wonderful thing, I really think we should be focusing on the why here...and not start a make out session in front of one of your best friends."

Touma blushed slightly at this comment, Imouto predictably didn't show any sign of embarrassment and just hugged him tightly.

"Ok, ok, lets try to get to the bottom of this..." Touma spoke. "Why can't you access the Network, is signal interference or something else?"

"It was a sudden switch of, Misaka explains. Similar to the effects of Touma Imagine Breaker in fact, says Misaka thoughtfully as she pushes a certain right hand away."

She then put her own right hand out...and nothing happened.

"My Esper powers have been suppressed it seems, says Misaka as she considers the possibility that perhaps the Controller is still ok despite everything."

"Wait... what!?" Touma exclaimed before continuing in a fearful tone. "Is Last Order in trouble back in Academy City?" He remember his fathers words about things getting crazy... the idea of Last Order being caught in it chilled him to the bone.

"The MISAKA Network is assessing the situation and we don't want you to worry about things, Misaka explains nervously."

"Erm guys..." Index said softly.

"You should tell me what going on if something that important happening Imouto!" Touma shouted angrily. "I care a lot about Last Order and you -still- haven't told me what wrong!"

"She has been taken hostage, Misaka explains as she relents. The hostage taker seems to hold a considerable grudge against Accelerator and a loaded firearm, however the Controller is currently in a rather erratic emotional state and is not feeding quality information into the Network, Misaka continues as she explains the situation to the boy who in a poor position to chastise other for keeping secrets."

"Really guys..." Index said a bit louder.

Touma frowned.

"I'm not keeping something a big as my little sister being scared out her mind!" Touma screamed at her angrily.

"So what are you are keeping from us Touma, Misaka asks coldly?"

"There some.. there some unpleasant things going off around Academy City at the moment." Touma explained. "The Government really angry with how much the Board gets away with, there might even be a war."

"And you didn't think of telling me this important piece of information, Misaka says as she continues to speak coldly to the most idiotic boy."

Touma frown deepened at the idiotic boy comment.

"Look!" He shouted and had a lengthy speech ready, but...

"Guys were not alone!" Index shouted loudly. Touma looked towards were her finger was pointing and saw something very unexpected...

First thing that caught his eye was the fact the creature standing in the dark had glowing red eyes, and through he noted the crest on its scaled head, the mouth full of teeth quickly took over in the attention grabbing.

"That's a Dilophosaurus, says Misaka is sheer disbelief at the long extinct beast standing before her."

"And I'm pretty sure it some kind of undead too..." Index said in a carefully measured tone as the bipedal ex-animal slowly made there way towards them.

"Such misfortune." Touma muttered as the impossible creature came closer and closer...

* * *

Uiharu turned at the sound of the Railgun. Before her stood a girl standing in a familiar pose. But she doubt Mikoto would ever stand with such a sadistic look of joy on her face, even if she was she was of Highschool age like the girl standing before her. And the man... she would never had killed a man in cold blood with a small Railgun to the head and left Last Order covered in the gore that had been the man's head moments ago.

"Seems I arrived just in time to save your arse Mr Honour Student!" Said the Highschool Girl to Accelerator in a surprising cheerful voice before glancing to Uiharu. "Through it seems your arse is in danger from quiet a different source!"

"Worse." Accelerator said with a heavy sigh from below and behind Uiharu.


End file.
